‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ trailer a whirlwind of tech, emotions

Los Angeles Marvel Studios is bringing fans back to Wakanda in the first trailer for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, reports ‘Variety’. The footage debuted at the conclusion of Marvel’s massive panel at the San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday evening (U.S. Pacific Time), introduced by a group of traditional African singers performing a fanfare.

The trailer is strung together with a lyrical motif of Bob Marley’s ageless ‘No woman, no cry’, moving between riveting images of Wakanda’s aquatic environments, futuristic technology and what appears to be a funeral with crowds of Wakandans dressed in white.

“I am Queen of the most powerful nation in the world, and my entire family is gone,” Angela Bassett’s Ramonda declares, according to ‘Variety’.

A question lingers over the trailer: who will take on the mantle of the Black Panther? A figure is seen in the hero’s suit at the end of the trailer, though it isn’t clarified who is in the costume.

Writer-director Ryan Coogler, who helmed the first ‘Black Panther’, took the stage to discuss the sequel, reflecting on the death of the series’ former star, Chadwick Boseman, who played the lead character, T’Challa. Boseman died in August 2020 after a private, four-year battle with colon cancer.

This trailer included a nod to Boseman. His image, as ‘The Direct’ notes, came on a piece of art in the streets of Wakanda, helping the people remember their fallen king:

Coogler also introduced ‘Black Panther’ stars Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba and Winston Duke on the Comic-Con stage, and then declared: “It’s a labor of love, and I have so much gratitude to be a part of it and be able to share it with you.”

The trailer is strung together with a lyrical motif of Bob Marley’s ageless ‘No woman, no cry’, moving between riveting images of Wakanda’s aquatic environments, futuristic technology and what appears to be a funeral with crowds of Wakandans dressed in white.